The West Leonard Hearts have added Swish to their active roster from the returning player pool.
The 6-2 guard/forward was originally drafted by the Bridge Street Buzz and played the 1st half of the 2021 season for the Yellow Jerseys.
The first half of the 2021-22 regular season will come to a conclusion on Tuesday night before the Gr3g League takes nearly a month off for the holidays.
The Creston Rock Crew will be looking to stay undefeated as they take the home end of the floor playing host to the Red Hawks of Force in the opening game (7pm). Both teams have a different look since the season opener where the Crew defeated the Hawks, 47-38.
Newcomers Ricky Bobby (left) and Proto have led the way for the Crew, according to the MVP Race, but it’s been a collective effort across the board for the Purple. Boog and Jimmy G are playing some of their best basketball to date while the new additions of Gavin and Asian Spice (right) have increased tempo and opened up wide-open pockets to shoot from.
The Crew hasn’t felt the need to take their game outside the 3G line, as they’e attempted the least of any team.
Coming off last season’s Championship victory, the team found itself in disarray. Multiple players had secretly positioned themselves to leave the squad for other teams over the summer creating a whirlwind of drama which was at the time only known to league personnel.
During the offseason recruiting process, multiple players had again made it “very clear” they did not want to return to the Hawks. One was even bold enough to tell the league they’d, “found another league to play in and I’m taking some players with me.” (That player no longer plays in the Gr3g League and did not respond to inquiries for a comment.)
The league made the choice to fill the team with incoming players in a huge trade after Week 1 “once the Nines decided how to fill their roster” AND “none of the other Hawks being available or having reached out to the league yet“.
In that trade, the Hawks secured the services of a “team of 4 that will start their own expansion team next season in Orange & Black” consisting of The Juice, AG, ****Mike & Coach Drew to go with I’ll Will, (pictured below) Cake and newcomer Daniel Bk.
With Bandit‘s sudden return in Week 4, the Red now have a returning squad of four plus the Orange 4 and part-time available services of Big Baby.
A.G. has lead the way in the scoring department so far this season, only giving way to Bandit this past week against the Buzz. ****Mike is a dominant force on the boards both offensively and defensively. After an injury to his shooting hand, Coach Drew has taken a prominent role on the sidelines as the “voice of the Force” and, not surprisingly, The Juice just keeps finding himself in open space to fire three-pointers in long-sleeves.
This team has taken the most 3G’s this season, a deep contrast to their upcoming opponent.
Continue reading “2021-22 Week 6 Preview: End of the 1st Half”
Less than 12 minutes into the first game of the season, the Greyline Nines saw Drew wince and grab his right arm. He knew. We knew. He’d be out for the next 10-12 weeks with a fracture (broken arm) just above his right wrist.
While it didn’t change the outcome of the Week 1 game against the Buzz, it definitely caused some concern for the front office of the Greyline Nines.
On Monday morning, the Nines reached out to Ryan 4ce, the GM/lead ambassador of the Red Hawks of Force to inquire about a major shakeup to both rosters. Becoming Coach Drew for the remainder fo the regular season, he’s a better fit on the bench for the Hawks as opposed to pacing the sidelines for a Nines team wrought in familiarity and the 4ce sees that.
Joining Coach Drew on the move to the Hawks are newcomers A.G. and ****, as well as wily Military Veteran The Juice.
In return for the major haul of talent, the Hawks will send Mr94Feet and the returning player rights to J. Barrett (aka “Double Barrett”) to the Nines.
With the trade, the Hawks gain some much needed production in the lane (****) and a guard (A.G.) who can both create off the dribble and light the fire from distance like a viking sparking the funeral pyre. Adding “The Juice” to the mix only makes it a higher possibility that the opposing team goes home to drink Bloody Mary’s as soon as possible.
On the other side of the trade table are the Nines, who’ve made some interesting moves over the past 6 months. After acquiring Tyco from the Hawks for draft picks over the summer, they were notified during pre-season that the big man, along with 2020-21 League MVP Los, were opting to play “overseas” (in some cheesy YMCA league, per an unidentified source) and wouldn’t be returning to the Gr3g League for the 2021-22 season. Losing their two biggest players (both physically and “in the news” this summer), the team targeted the best outside shooters on the market to go with the returning “get buckets” duo of MJ and Boston.
After finding a deal to put Money in a Buzz uniform, the Broad Leaf ambassadors shipped him to the Nines to clear space for incoming draftees from Summer League. Knowing the Buzz was going to fill the roster with the “highest upside”, the Nines again reached out to the Buzz to inquire about the availability of BeerCityHoops‘ founder, Gr3g. The high-motor, “recklessly defensive of his parquet” point-forward returns to the League with hopes of pushing his Buzz #8 and Nines #15 jerseys into a HOF #36 before he retires and takes the broadcasting helm.
The Nines now have some of the best outside shooters in the League. Finding some space inside the 3-point line for Gr3g on the block will allow the others to spot up and fire up some 3’s and 3G’s.
We know they have the talent, do they have the health to compete?
Coming off a knee scope for MJ, a scattered schedule for Boston’s little leaguers, Gr3g’s age and the unknown of the newcomers, including Buggs, who signed today, signify a change of direction in philosophy for the Nines but also shows that the front office understands last year’s game plan fell flat in the Playoffs. This team is now the oldest of the Original Six, with Money being the only under-30 player on the team.
What now for the defending Champions?
The sudden addition of a near-full squad that has played together in other markets definitely puts them back on the map. Losing key players Mr94Feet (Nines), Bandit (no-show), and Big Baby (playing in Norton Shores with Whores) and some deep bench players (Tyco, Jerms, Berlin Wall), the Red Hawks will rely on Cake (returning from injury), I’ll Will (their own Eric Beverly) and rookie Daniel BK, who joins the League as the first player from the Congo.
https://www.beercityhoops.com/calendar/2021-22-season/
Could it be? Yes? Yes? It is!
We’re back for Beer of the Month after a nearly 18-month hiatus due to the Covid-19 crisis, the cause for our inability to be “On The Mitten Road” with no destination except our new favorite brewery somewhere in Michigan.
Truth is, we didn’t really go far to find this “local” brew.
Standing in the middle beer aisle at Siciliano’s on a Monday afternoon staring at a five level rack of aluminum cans doesn’t seem like a bad thing until you realize you’ve been there for 12 minutes just looking for something different.
Then we realized October began with Pulaski Days here in Grand Rapids and the drink of choice for our team is Tyskie.
From their website:
Gronie is our flagship pale lager of full strength, which has been gaining recognition both in Poland and all over the world for years. Thanks to the centuries-old tradition of Tyskie Browary Książęce and the experience of their brewers, Gronie provides the perfect balance between hoppy bitterness and malty fullness.
A discerning beer drinker will sense some malty notes, a delicate aroma of hops, and even apple and banana flavours. Tyskie Gronie is the only Polish beer to have won two “Brewing Oscars” – Grand Prix at the British Brewing Industry Awards.
Alcohol content: 5.2%
Best with: baked and grilled meat, game, pasta and potato dumplings
Serving temperature: 4-6°C
Nutrition facts: www.abcalkoholu.pl
Los, #13 in white, has won the 2020-21 Gr3g League MVP award after a great season for the Greyline Nines.
Los received 14 player votes for MVP, no other player had more than 6 votes.
The award was measured on the algorithm below.
League MVP Award Points Breakdown:
| Rank | Player | Team | Position | PTS | PPG | REB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los | | Forward-Guard | 261 | 26.1 | 0 |
| 2 | MJ | | Guard | 218 | 24.2 | 0 |
| 3 | Bandit | | Guard | 199 | 18.1 | 0 |
| 4 | Jackson Sr. | | Forward-Guard | 142 | 17.8 | 0 |
| 5 | Moten | | Forward | 171 | 17.1 | 0 |
| 6 | Mr94Feet | | Guard | 214 | 16.5 | 0 |
| 7 | Boog* | | Forward-Center | 81 | 16.2 | 0 |
| 8 | Jackson | | Guard | 106 | 15.1 | 0 |
| 9 | Silky | | Forward-Guard | 165 | 15.0 | 0 |
| 10 | The Juice | | Guard | 30 | 15.0 | 0 |
| 11 | Loubalance | | Guard | 96 | 13.7 | 0 |
| 12 | Ricky Bobby | | Forward | 112 | 11.2 | 0 |
| 13 | D Nags | | Guard | 101 | 11.2 | 0 |
| 14 | Tyco | | Forward | 87 | 10.9 | 0 |
| 15 | Ureste* | | Forward-Guard | 108 | 10.8 | 0 |
| 16 | Frain Wreck | | Forward-Guard | 91 | 10.1 | 0 |
| 17 | Ell | | Center | 112 | 9.3 | 0 |
| 18 | B. Buckets | | Guard | 74 | 9.3 | 0 |
| 19 | Fries With That “Diesel” | | Forward-Center | 102 | 9.3 | 0 |
| 20 | Shippy | | Guard | 96 | 8.7 | 0 |
| 21 | Spaghetti | | Forward | 92 | 8.4 | 0 |
| 22 | Sam Awry | | Forward | 83 | 7.5 | 0 |
| 23 | Money | | Forward | 78 | 7.1 | 0 |
| 24 | Leland |  | Guard | 14 | 7.0 | 0 |
| 25 | Boston | | Guard | 48 | 6.9 | 0 |
| 26 | Jspoon | | Forward-Guard | 6 | 6.0 | 0 |
| 27 | Kid A | | Forward | 47 | 5.9 | 0 |
| 28 | Wasabi | | Forward-Guard | 17 | 5.7 | 0 |
| 29 | DJ Seven Eightz | | Guard | 68 | 5.7 | 0 |
| 30 | Berlin Wall* | | Forward-Center | 42 | 5.3 | 0 |
| 31 | Zaza* | | Forward | 34 | 4.9 | 0 |
| 32 | Jimmy G | | Guard | 52 | 4.7 | 0 |
| 33 | I’ll Will | | Forward | 51 | 4.3 | 0 |
| 34 | Red Leif | | Forward | 41 | 4.1 | 0 |
| 35 | Jerms | | Guard | 24 | 4.0 | 0 |
| 36 | Goolay | | Guard | 31 | 3.1 | 0 |
| 37 | Cake | | Guard | 9 | 3.0 | 0 |
| 38 | Big Baby | | Center | 30 | 3.0 | 0 |
| 39 | B Stacks | | Guard | 9 | 2.3 | 0 |
| 40 | Gr3g | | Forward-Guard | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 41 | K Mac | | Forward-Center | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 42 | B Nasty | | Guard | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 43 | Scotty J | | Forward-Guard | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 44 | KP3 | | Guard | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 45 | Shotgun | | Guard | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 46 | Jo Eddie G | | Forward-Guard | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 47 | Howard Beach | | Guard | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 48 | Dr. Weed | | Forward | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 49 | Lost Ang3l | | Guard | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 50 | Trip | | Forward | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 51 | Pete | | Guard | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
It came down to one final game in the inaugural Gr3g 
League playoffs on Tuesday night at the Knapp Shack and the Red Hawks Of Force clawed their way to raise the trophy, 55-41, over the Creston Rock Crew.
The Crew got out to a quick 7-0 lead to start the game but found themselves behind 16-13 at the end of the first quarter. The Hawks were able to take a 30-20 advantage at the halftime break and kept their opponents at bay throughout the second half.
Mr94Feet led the way for the Hawks scoring a game-high 24 points, including 13 in the first nine minutes.
Ureste (driving) took top honors for the Crew with 12 points.
Jimmy G (below) added 11.
City wins the lottery, will pick 1st overall in 2021 Draft
At least one thing went their way in April. Coming off a tough loss in the Gr3g League Playoffs Elimination Game, the City of Bridges and injured guard Jackson have a little sun shining down upon them today.
City, aka The Blues, will have the 1st overall pick in the 2021 draft, scheduled for mid-October.
Wins in Week 1 for the City, Crew and Buzz were stressful and entertaining. The Nines & the Greens aren’t fully healthy yet and the Hawks worked hard together and will be a force to deal with.
Here’s the week’s time-lapse video.